Tuesday October 23, 2012 6:27 pm

You can’t upgrade the RAM on the new 21.5-inch iMac

If you're hoping to pick up one of the super-thin new iMacs and plan on upgrading the RAM in it yourself, you'll want to make sure you pick up the 27-inch model. Why? Well, the 21.5-inch version doesn't have an easy-access memory panel to allow you to get to the RAM. Take a look:

The 21.5-inch iMac comes with 8GB of memory and can be configured online with 16GB. On the 27-inch iMac, 8GB of memory comes standard, and you can upgrade to 16GB or 32GB. Configure and buy your iMac at the Apple Online Store and it will arrive with the memory already installed. Or add more memory to the 27-inch model yourself by popping open the easy-to-access memory panel on the back.

So if you're in the market for the smaller machine, you'll want to make sure you buy the version that has all the RAM that you'll need.